Josh Brookes preps for BSB 2025 with Australian Superbike outing

Josh Brookes has continued his 2025 preseason preparation ‘down under’, racing again at Sydney Motorsports Park on a self-built Honda CBR1000RR-R.

Brookes raced last weekend at Sydney, formerly Eastern Creek, in the St George Motorcycle Club’s Summer Night Series, which he also contested in December, alongside some Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) regulars.

“So good to get back on track and go racing again this weekend,” Brookes wrote in an Instagram post.

“Some strong competition from the ASBK guys pushed me to go closer to the limits of the package and meant there were some great on track battles.

“I spent some time refining the electronics further & and by the final race I was feeling a lot more comfortable at the limit and really enjoying the bike.”

Brookes’ winter racing programme on his own Honda is there in part to keep himself race-sharp in the middle of a huge six-month BSB off-season, but also to adapt to the Honda CBR1000RR-R which he is racing for the first time this year as he switches to the DAO Racing squad for 2025.

The Honda was almost a title-winning bike in 2024, as Tommy Bridewell missed out on the title by just four points to Yamaha’s Kyle Ryde, meaning the Fireblade has been runner-up in BSB in two of the past four seasons after Glenn Irwin was second overall in 2022.

Two-times champion Brookes, on the other hand, is without a BSB win since 2023, and – despite finishing on the podium in the Senior TT last year – did not score a podium in any of BSB’s 32 races in 2024.